How do you keep track of system changes?

1 Use a version control system

A version control system (VCS) is a software that records and manages changes to files and directories. It allows you to track the history, authorship, and purpose of each change. You can also revert to previous versions, compare differences, and merge changes from different sources. A VCS is especially useful for managing configuration files, scripts, and code. Some of the most popular VCS are Git, Subversion, and Mercurial.

2 Implement a change management process

A change management process is a set of rules and procedures that govern how changes are requested, approved, implemented, and reviewed. It helps you to plan, prioritize, and communicate changes effectively while reducing the risk of errors, conflicts, and downtime. It typically involves identifying the need and scope of the change, assessing its impact and feasibility, obtaining authorization and approval, scheduling and executing it, testing and verifying it, documenting and reporting it, and evaluating and improving it.

3 Use a configuration management tool

A configuration management tool (CMT) is a software that automates the deployment, maintenance, and monitoring of system configurations, ensuring compliance with predefined standards and policies. This helps to save time, improve efficiency, and enhance security. CMTs can install and update software packages, manage user accounts and permissions, configure network settings and firewall rules, apply patches and security updates, and generate reports and alerts. Popular CMTs include Ansible, Puppet, and Chef.

4 Maintain a system log

A system log is a file that records the events and activities that occur on a system, providing valuable information for troubleshooting, auditing, and analyzing system performance and behavior. It can also help to identify and prevent potential problems and threats by capturing data such as system startup and shutdown, user login and logout, application errors and warnings, system errors and exceptions, and security events and incidents. To manage and rotate system logs, you can use tools such as syslog, rsyslog, or logrotate.

5 Document your system changes

Documenting your system changes is a good practice that can be beneficial in many ways. It helps you keep track of the details, rationale, and outcome of each change, as well as facilitates knowledge sharing, learning, and improvement. You can use various formats and platforms to document your system changes, such as change request forms, change log files, wiki pages, online notes, and spreadsheets. The information you should include in the documentation includes the date and time of the change, the person who performed the change, the reason and goal of the change, the steps and commands involved in the change, the expected and actual results of the change, any issues or challenges encountered during the change, and any feedback or suggestions for future changes. Keeping track of system changes is not only an important technical skill but also a professional habit. Through following best practices and using these tools, you can improve your system administration efficiency, quality, and security.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?